This archive report was first published on 29 June 2019.
On June 29, 2019, Jacinta Wanjiku shared her harrowing story of being sold to a rapist by her own mother for Sh5,000 when she was just 14 years old. This horrific incident occurred in 2009, a year after she had completed her KCPE exam in 2008.
Wanjiku's mother had been running an illegal drinking shed at their home in Kakamega, where a frequent customer, who worked at a local water company, would often visit. Unbeknownst to Wanjiku, her mother had been negotiating with this man, who eventually bought her for Sh5,000.
In November 2009, Wanjiku's mother told her that she would be living with her grandmother in Kiambu county after joining secondary school. However, instead of taking her to her grandmother's house, the man took her to his home in a remote village in Kiambu. It was only after two weeks that Wanjiku discovered she had been sold to this man, who forced her to sleep with him despite her being only 14 years old.
Repeated Rape and Attempted Suicide ¶
Wanjiku was repeatedly raped by the man, who refused to take her to the hospital even after she bled for two months. Her mother showed no remorse when Wanjiku reached out to her, telling her to be strong and that it was for her own good to stay married. This led Wanjiku to attempt suicide multiple times, including drinking poison, but she miraculously survived.
Eventually, Wanjiku escaped to her grandmother's house and later married another man. She has never bothered to find out what happened to her mother or the man who bought her, but wishes that her mother could change and ask for forgiveness.
